Have you ever seen a solid granite planet earth 'Kugel' ball style fountain before? You have now!

Weighing in at an eye-watering 9 tonnes, we were more than happy to help with the installation of this specialist fountain which started its journey all the way from China.

Using our 60t all-terrain Liebherr LTM1060-3.1 mobile crane, we carefully assisted Weston Homes Plc with the installation of the fountain including its concrete base at their HQ in Takeley.

A kugel fountain (also called a “floating” sphere fountain or by the pleonasmic name “kugel ball”) is a water feature or sculpture where a sphere sits in a fitted hollow in a pedestal, and is supported by aquaplaning on a thin film of water. Pressurized water flows between the sphere and socket, creating a mechanical fluid bearing that is nearly frictionless.

The sphere can weigh thousands of kilograms, but the efficient bearing allows it to be spun by the force of a hand. The sphere does not float, being denser than water; it is often made from granite. The hydraulics of the fountain can be controlled so that the axis of rotation of the sphere changes continually.

We have a wide range of mobile cranes available for use within a variety of applications. From 7t Compact Crawler Cranes to 180t All-Terrain heavy lifting machines, we are more than capable of providing a full service solution to our customers. In combination with our roster of dedicated and highly-skilled operators, it’s easy to see how we are the leading mobile crane hire company in East Anglia.